Dissatisfied Teachers Call Again on Cabinet to Fulfill Their Demands

Bratislava, September 2 (TASR) – The Initiative of Slovak Teachers (ISU) on Friday sent once again a call to the Government to fulfil the requirements they have been calling for long term, TASR learnt on the same day.

Dissatisfied teachers want the Cabinet as well as Parliament to increase the salaries of teachers by €140 per month this year and by another €90 per month next year. Moreover, they’re demanding changes in the continuing education of teachers as well as some €400 million funding to cover basic needs of the education sector and remove differences among schools.

Vladimir Crmoman from ISU claims that their requirements haven’t been fulfilled so far. “We’re once again calling on the Government to deal with our requirements. We care in what environment our teachers, educators, teaching professional staff are working, and in what environment our children are learning,” said Crmoman in front of Government Office in Bratislava.

If the Government fails to comply with the ISU requirements, the dissatisfied teachers are ready to enter into the so-called ‘gradual strike’. This is due to begin as of September 13 and will mean that teaching will be gradually reduced. Early this year, there was a series of rotating strikes and walk-outs involving both grade schools and universities.

“A strike is the last resort, and it’s not our objective,” said Crmoman.

Education and Science Workers Trade Union (OZPSaV) chairman Pavel Ondek told TASR earlier this week that their requirements have been clearly formulated in the Declaration of the Union and Associate Organisations for supporting the improvement of conditions and the level of education and science in Slovakia.

“We’re still waiting for the date of a collective negotiation,” said Ondek, noting that if the deliberations end up unfavourably for the union, it might consider protesting.

According to the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry, the Government in its Manifesto pledged itself to increase tariff salaries of teachers by 6 percent in 2018, 2019 and 2020. In addition, the ministry initiated talks with the Finance Ministry in order to increase salaries of regional school and university educators by 6 percent as of January 2017.

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